Why Extra India-Bangladesh Rail Connectivity Is Pressing For Growing Regional Communication – OpEd

Aiming to extend regional communication, rail connectivity is being achieved on 10 border routes of Bangladesh-India. Amongst them, trains are presently operating on 5 border routes Darshana-Gede, Benapole-Petrapole, Rohanpur-Singabad, Birol-Radhikapur and Chilahati-Haldibari.

Other than this, plans have been taken to renovate these 3 railways Shahbazpur-Mahisasan, Burimari-Changrabanda and Mogulhat-Gitaldah. Akhaura-Agartala and Feni-Bilonia 2 new railways are being constructed. If these railways are opened, regional connectivity will improve. Other than this, items and passenger rail connectivity between India, Nepal, Bhutan may even improve, railway sources mentioned.

On September 10, 2017, the Prime Ministers of Bangladesh and India inaugurated the development of the Akhaura-Agartala railway line funded by India. In consequence, Bangladesh will be part of the worldwide Trans-Asian Railway together with the rise of rail communication between Bangladesh and India.

On this regard, the Minister of Railways. Nurul Islam Sujan informed Janakantha that railways had been operating between Bangladesh and India for the reason that British interval. However through the Pakistan-India struggle of 1965, these railways had been closed. By renovating this closed railway line, an initiative has been taken to re-establish rail connectivity between Bangladesh and India. Other than this, this railway will probably be used to attach the worldwide railway Trans Asia Railway. Other than this, 2 new railways Akhaura-Agartala and Feni-Bilonia are being constructed. On account of this, apart from the passenger transport by railway between the 2 nations, export-import of products will improve, he mentioned.

It’s recognized that through the British rule, passenger and cargo trains used to run on to totally different components of Bangladesh and India via 8 locations. These are Darshana in Bangladesh and Gede in India, Benapole in Bangladesh to Petrapol in India, Singabad in India from Rohanpur in Bangladesh, Radhikapur in India from Birol in Bangladesh, Mohisasan in India from Shahbazpur in Bangladesh, Haldibari in Bangladesh from Chilahati, Changrabanda in Bangladesh from Burimari and Changrabanda in Bangladesh from Mogulhat in Bangladesh. There was a railway. Most of those railways had been closed through the Pakistan-India struggle of 1965. Some had been closed throughout and after the Liberation Conflict of 1971. Of those, 5 railways have been opened, however three railways are nonetheless closed, railway officers mentioned.

Darshana-gede Passenger and items trains are presently plying from Darshana in Bangladesh to Gede in India via a 3 km railway line. Through the Indo-Pakistani struggle in 1965, prepare service on this route was stopped. After the struggle of independence in 1971, the railway was began in Purana with freight trains. Dhaka-Kolkata passenger Maitri Specific prepare is operating on this railway since April 14, 2008. This rail line belongs to Trans Asian Railway.

Benapole-Petrapole This 1.8 km lengthy railway from Benapole in Bangladesh to Petrapole in India is an working interchange level of the Bangladesh and Indian Railways. This level was deserted since 1965. After this, in 2002, freight trains had been resumed. On November 16, 2017, a passenger prepare known as Bandhan Specific began operating on this railway on Khulna-Benapole-Kolkata route. This railway line will probably be related to the worldwide Trans-Asian railway with rail connectivity between Bangladesh and India.

Rohanpur-Singabad This railway is 10 km lengthy from Bangladesh’s northern border Rohanpur to India’s Singhabad. Nepal border stations Raxaul and Jagbani are related with Birganj and Biratnagar stations respectively. Common freight trains are operating on this line since 1990. It would even be related to the Trans Asian Railway.

Uncommon-Radhikapur. This 11 km lengthy border railway from Birol in Bangladesh to Badhikapur in India was used for transit operations with Nepal until 2005. However it was closed in 2005 when a part of India’s railways was transformed to broad gauge. The railway from Parvatipur-Biral-Biral border in Bangladesh half was transformed into twin gauge and launched from April 8, 2017. On account of the opening of this railway, after 12 years, freight prepare motion between Bangladesh and India began.

Chilahati-Haldibari This 7.5 km lengthy border railway from Chilahati in Bangladesh to Haldibari in India was closed in 1965. Later, the railway was upgraded to broad gauge and formally launched by the Prime Ministers of the 2 nations on December 17, 2020. The freight prepare began operating on August 1, 2021. After this, on June 1, 2022, the third worldwide prepare ‘Mithali Specific’ was launched on this route from Dhaka, Bangladesh to New Jalpaiguri, India. The railway could be prolonged to Hasimara station on the border with Bhutan.

Shahbazpur-Mahisasan: The 11 km border railway from Shahbazpur in Sylhet, Bangladesh to Mahisasan in India was closed on July 7, 2002. Items trains used to run via this railway. It’s also a part of the Trans Asian Railway Community. Building of twin gauge railway has began as much as Kulaura-Shahbajpur border. The mission is being carried out beneath the Indian Line of Credit score (LoC). Below this mission, 51 km railway observe from Kulaura in Moulvibazar to Shahbazpur is being reconstructed.

On September 10, 2018, the Prime Ministers of the 2 nations inaugurated the development of this railway via a video convention. Railway sources mentioned that if the railway is transformed into twin gauge and prolonged by 9 km to India’s Karimganj, Bangladesh will be capable of join with the regional and trans-Asian railway community sooner or later.

Previous lady-Chengrabandha The three km lengthy border railway from Burimari in Bangladesh to Changrabandha in India has been closed since 1971. This could possibly be a attainable railway for transit operations with Bhutan. This railway could be related in each instructions. Amongst these, the conversion of meter gauge railway to twin gauge from Parvatipur to Burimari by way of Kaunia and Lalmonirhat in Bangladesh or the conversion of meter gauge railway from Santahar in Bogra to Lalmonirhat to Burimari to twin gauge, building of latest broad gauge railway line from Burimari station to Changrabandha in India has been accepted. In consequence, the transportation of products between Bangladesh-India Bhutan will probably be simpler based on railway sources.

Mogulhat-Gitaldah The practically three-kilometer railway line from Mogulhat in Lalmonirhat, Bangladesh to Gitaldah in Cooch Behar district, West Bengal, India was closed in 1965 after the India-Pakistan struggle. After independence, two freight trains had been operating, however either side of the railway line had been broken within the extreme floods of 1998. Then this path is closed. The reopening of the railway will facilitate the transportation of products via this route for merchants from a big a part of Bhutan and Assam. Railway sources mentioned that passenger transport may even be attainable later.

Akhaura-Agartala route A brand new 15 km lengthy railway line is being constructed from Akhaura in Bangladesh to Agartala in India. To start out this new interchange line, a ten km railway observe is being constructed on the Bangladesh facet and 5 km on the Indian facet from Gangasagar station in Bangladesh to the Indian border. The Prime Minister of Bangladesh and India collectively inaugurated the development of this railway on September 10, 2018 via a video convention. 90 p.c of the prevailing railway has been accomplished. Railway officers mentioned that the railway will probably be launched by the top of this yr.

Feni-Bilonia Plans have been taken as much as rebuild the 30 km railway line from Feni in Bangladesh to Bilonia in India. This railway line will probably be used to attach the Indian states of Tripura, Assam and Meghalaya. In line with the settlement with the federal government of Bangladesh, the federal government of India will bear all of the bills for the renovation of this railway line. Assam Bengal Railway Firm began this railway in 1929 to ascertain communication with Assam. Initially, freight trains ran on this line, however the railway was closed after 1947.